FSU Practice Notebook: FSU Gets Back to Work

Florida State got back to work on Tuesday after taking two days off following their 63-0 win over then-no. 25 Maryland. The Seminoles have this weekend off before taking on no. 3 Clemson on the road in two weeks.

FSU-Clemson is the biggest game on the Florida State schedule this year, on the Clemson schedule this year and on the ACC schedule this year. Predictably, motivation was not an issue.

“I liked practice today. We had great enthusiasm. [We] got a lot of things done - got better in some things," said head coach Jimbo Fisher. "[We] got some execution and got some other things installed that we needed to get installed. I liked the overall attitude and effort in the way we practiced –- very good day.”

The Seminoles got some bad news on Tuesday when Fisher announced that starting free safety Tyler Hunter had a bulging disc surgically removed from his neck earlier in the day and would miss the rest of the season.

I'll have a bigger write-up on that in a few minutes, but Fisher did say the team took every precaution with regard to Hunter's prognosis, that he will make a full recovery and that he is eligible to redshirt.

Jalen Ramsey will continue to play safety in Hunter's place.

“He is very mature, very intelligent," said FIsher. "He can contain and process a lot of information.”

On to Clemson, Fisher's staff has been hard at work breaking down -- not just Clemson, but -- the next three games.

“Yes, we’ve looked at Clemson. We’ve [also] looked at NC State and Miami," said Fisher. "We’ve had our [Graduate Assistants] look at different things we know are issues and going back and studying all of our opponents and trying to install and do things during the week.”

Speaking of film, Clemson plays Boston College this weekend. Per Fisher, that's of limited use:

“Any time you play common opponents I think it does (help) but it depends on what their style of defense is or offense and what they try to do against you.”

And finally, Fisher waxed philosophical on the Clemson game and the challenge that comes with making the trip to Death Valley:

“Here’s the thing, people always say ‘does the helmet make the player or does the player make the helmet?’ Does the atmosphere make the players or do the players make the stadium? First off, they have good players. Secondly, they’re coached extremely well and then third to have a great environment of 80,000 folks that love football and are very passionate – I think all three of those things make it very tough to win in Death Valley.”

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